Plateau SInce May 11 any Ideas how to break it.

walleyebob977
walleyebob977 Posts: 201 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started back in Jan and lost 62 lbs from jan to may, from may 11 to now nothing. Its getting frustrating, I Stay well within my calories and try and burn 500 cals a day by biking, lifting or running/walking. Whats the longest you have been stuck on a Plateau? I eat around 2100 calls a day and usually don't eat back my workout cals.

Replies

  • Linli_Anne
    Linli_Anne Posts: 1,360 Member
    I would suggest cutting back a bit on the biking. Addind in some weights is a good way to still feel like you are being active everyday, while increasing muscles which will burn even more for you during the day.

    I hit a plateau for about the same length of time as you. I did a whole month of eating at my maintenance level rather than having a deficit. When I went back to a small deficit, the weight loss started to move again.
  • blondageh
    blondageh Posts: 923 Member
    Man, that is a long plateau. You are religiously logging/weighing/measuring everything? Honest to God, my longest plateau has been a couple of weeks with a gain here or there and I get pretty devastated. I change things up when I don't see the numbers going down so kudos to you for sticking to it. I have no patience.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    I'm guessing some regular food items are off by ~20% and you're eating maintenance.
  • grdaze
    grdaze Posts: 195 Member
    how close to your goal are you? I got stuck for almost 5 weeks before I saw the scale drop one measly pound ... but I was so happy to see it moving again.

    I ate maintenance for a week and changed my exercise routine and was STRICT about eating to see it go. (By strict, I mean every morsel was accounted for and I ate -20% TDEE)
  • srvalentine
    srvalentine Posts: 1
    The body can adapt quickly that's why they say change things up. Reevaluate your calories to see if you need to reduce them. As you get smaller your body requires less calories. Not sure what your eating but cut out the sugar and salt and eat as clean as you can.
  • adamgottlob
    adamgottlob Posts: 36 Member
    I try to rely on MFP to calculate goals (.5lbs/week, 2lbs/week, etc). From Jan-May you were going at 4lbs/week which is huge! Now it may "level off" but even with the plateau you are at over 2lbs/week. Unless you are setting MFP to more than 2lbs/week my opinion is that this is normal.
  • amyx593
    amyx593 Posts: 211 Member
    I have only lost 2lbs since May 12th myself. My calories were low when I was losing, but I made sure to eat back my exercise calories. Now I've upped to TDEE-25%. It's been 4 weeks and still the scale has not moved. Well, it's moved up by a pound.

    Having a cheat day or two worked for me once before- scale started moving again. Didn't work this time though.

    I think my problem is the fast food I've eaten lately, even though it's usually within my caloric limits. I cook a lot at home, but my fiance's kids (6 and 7) are here for the summer and we've been eating out once or twice a week now.

    Good luck!
  • rahlpn
    rahlpn Posts: 551 Member
    No advise really just wanted to say I feel your pain. I was losing weight at 4lbs a week at the beginning, then leveled off to 2/wk for a while now since around the middle of June I've been hanging around 186 (the scale finally showed 185 three days in a row though so I logged it as my current weight today). But still, 1lb in a month?! Maybe try lowering your cals to 2000 a day strictly and no eating back calories. Try it for a week or two and see if the scale starts moving again. Also, have you been taking measurements? How do your clothes feel?
  • walleyebob977
    walleyebob977 Posts: 201 Member
    Wow thanks for all the reply's. I have been using the TDEE method and seem to be working. I did have my measurments on a app on my phone but now I see the app didnt save them. I can say my clothes fit better I have gone from size 42 pants to 38 and the 38s are getting to big. As for pics I have started to notice a difference. I just want to the scale to move even if it 1lb. One problem I think im having is that i eat most my calories before bed. Not sure if it makes a difference what time you eat your calories. I'd hate to lower my calories in take but maybe i need to for a few weeks. Thanks for the help.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    Have you been readjusting your goal calories every 5 lbs lost?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    One problem I think im having is that i eat most my calories before bed.

    This is very unlikely to be relevant.

    Are you using a food scale?

    Read this please:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    Apply everything you can from reading the above and I suspect you will see progress in the next two weeks.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    Wow thanks for all the reply's. I have been using the TDEE method and seem to be working. I did have my measurments on a app on my phone but now I see the app didnt save them. I can say my clothes fit better I have gone from size 42 pants to 38 and the 38s are getting to big. As for pics I have started to notice a difference. I just want to the scale to move even if it 1lb. One problem I think im having is that i eat most my calories before bed. Not sure if it makes a difference what time you eat your calories. I'd hate to lower my calories in take but maybe i need to for a few weeks. Thanks for the help.
    You're down two or three sizes? I wouldn't call that a plateau!
  • djurkwhad
    djurkwhad Posts: 2 Member
    If available, could you provide the following?

    Current Weight:
    TDE:
    BMR:
    Fat %:
  • walleyebob977
    walleyebob977 Posts: 201 Member
    current wt: 259
    TDE:3642
    BMR:2350
    Fat%:32.38
    These are the calculation I just came up with with my current measurements

    My daily goal is to eat around 2050 cals and try and burn 300 to 500 cals a day.
  • djurkwhad
    djurkwhad Posts: 2 Member
    Using the measurements provided, you seem to be spot on with your calorie intake, and are eating enough to maintain muscle, while still burning fat.

    259lbs x 0.3238 Fat% = 83.86lbs of fat.

    83.86lbs x 20 Calorie%loss = 1677 Calories to subtract from your TDEE

    3642 - 1677 = 1965 Daily Calorie intake. This is essentially what you're already doing. Your numbers add up.

    1) Have you taken a rest week in the last couple months? Let your body forget about all the weight loss it's been doing.
    2) A diet shakeup may help. Run a couple weeks with limiting your daily carb intake to 100g or less.
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
    current wt: 259
    TDE:3642
    BMR:2350
    Fat%:32.38
    These are the calculation I just came up with with my current measurements

    My daily goal is to eat around 2050 cals and try and burn 300 to 500 cals a day.

    I would say to start eating some of your exercise cals back. I hit a plateu from April to May stuck at 40 pounds, I upped my cals to reflect the 1 pound/week on MFP, added in more strength training and have dropped 14# since.

    If your TDEE is 3600 you should probably do 80-90% which would be 2880-3240. It will not come off as fast as you get smaller but by shrinking the calorie deficit and adding strength training you should be able to lose more fat and retain a higher % of lean body mass.

    I started Jan 1 also, awesome job so far!!

    EDIT: to say if you are doing the TDEE method then you do not need to eat your exercise calories back.
  • walleyebob977
    walleyebob977 Posts: 201 Member
    Thanks again I'm just going to try and shake things up, Think I need to get back into running on a regular basis and really sweat the fat off.
  • jadethief
    jadethief Posts: 266 Member
    I hit a stall around the end of May and the scale has just now started moving again. What I did was get a body media fit so that I could be more accurate in maintaining a 500 calorie deficit. I also started walking more and lifting weight. And i became more meticulous about weighing and measuring my food.

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